


It's That Time Of Year Again

by Pey119



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan, The Trials of Apollo - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - No Demigods (Percy Jackson), Blackmail, Bullying, Car Accidents, Complete, Depression, Drunk Sex, F/M, House Party, M/M, One-Sided Nico di Angelo/Percy Jackson, Suicide Attempt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-29
Updated: 2019-06-29
Packaged: 2020-05-29 14:22:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 7,920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19402108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pey119/pseuds/Pey119
Summary: Looking back on what caused their friend to die.





	1. Prologue

It was Springtime when Percy got the call. He was sitting at the beach, gathering seashells. They'd make a great gift for Annabeth.

As he piled them into the bag he brought, his phone rang from his pocket. An unknown number, something Percy didn't usually answer to. Still, he answered it anyway.

Answered it to hear the news.

* * *

Annabeth was working on new blueprints when Percy started to pound on her door. Her father answered it, talked to the teenager, sent him to Annabeth. That's how she first knew something was wrong.

Her next clue was Percy's face. His green eyes were rimmed in red, a tear had made its way down his cheek. His lips moved, he spoke the words she never thought she would hear.

* * *

Breathing heavily, Jason jogged down the road. It was early morning, the sun just having started to poke up over the horizon. Dew covered the grass, the smell of spring was in the air. Five miles by five in the morning. If he kept this up, maybe he'd make the football team after all.

His phone buzzed in his pocket, vibrating his thigh. He ignored it but stopped when it started again, Annabeth's face filling his screen.

"Annabeth?" he answered with a sense that something was horribly wrong. "Annabeth, what is it?"

He could barely make out her words, but he understood one: dead. Someone was dead.


	2. Dooming Crush: The Start of The End

**One Year Earlier**

"Come on, go talk to him." Lou Ellen poked Will with a pencil. They sat at their usual table, alone in the corner of the lunchroom. "If you won't, I will."

"Don't you dare!" Will hid his face with his health textbook as he stared at Nico di Angelo, who sat with his half-sister at another table. "Just leave it alone, Lou."

She ate a fry before speaking again. "William Solace. You can't deny that you're in love with him."

"So?" Will huffed. "I'm trying to eat lunch."

"As a stalker!" she pointed to his book. "Just because you have that standing up doesn't mean no one can see you!"

Will let the book fall to the table. "Then do you have any bright ideas?"

"Actually, I do." Lou Ellen smirked. "Talk to him."

Will groaned loudly. "I'm not talking to him! Not over my dead body!"

"You're a health freak, you aren't dying anytime soon." she moved his food closer to him. "At least eat if you're going to use that excuse."

Will ate his food quickly before staring at Nico again. The black-haired boy was in a deep conversation with Hazel, his hands moving as he talked. "Lou Ellen?"

"Hm?"

"Do you think he's gay?" Will wondered. "I...I didn't think I was gay, honestly, but every time I see him...I get butterflies in my stomach, and I blush and I...I can't stop thinking about him."

Lou Ellen looked to Nico. "He seems to be staring at Percy Jackson."

Will froze. "No, no. You're wrong. He doesn't like Percy, not like that. He would have made it known. We would have known. He doesn't like him. He can't."

"Sorry, Will, but face the truth." she gestured to Nico. "He's looking at Percy like you're looking at him."

Will's face fell. "No...no, Lou Ellen. No... I...I..." One word came to his mind and slipped from his mouth. "Love... I love him..."

Lou Ellen moved a hand to his shoulder. "Try talking to him. Maybe get his mind off of Percy."

"If he loves Percy then there's no way to get his mind off of him." Will laid his head on the table. "Just like there's no way to get my mind off of Nico."

Lou Ellen flicked his forehead. "Cheer up, blondie. You can't just give up yet."

"Then what am I supposed to do?" Will felt depression build up in his chest. "I love him, Lou. I really do. How can I live with loving someone that doesn't love me?"

"I have a plan." she grinned. "Just hang in there. I've got a plan."

* * *

"You understand it now?" Hazel asked, handing Nico back his notebook.

"Yeah, thanks." he flipped through the pages before glancing over at Percy Jackson, who sat at a table with the rest of his friends.

"Neeks, don't stare," Hazel instructed. "That'll make him think you're weird."

"I can't help it." Nico closed his notebook. "He's just so...argh, I don't know." He threw his fists into his hair. "He's so perfect!"

Hazel laughed. Hard. "Nico, you're so in love!"

Nico blushed darkly. "Shut up. You better not say anything to anyone."

"I won't, I won't." she wiped tears of mirth from her eyes. "I just find it entertaining, is all. Do you want to go sit over there with them?"

Nico's face turned darker. "They'd find out!"

"No, they wouldn't." she sipped her pop. "I can say I came to sit by Frank and you didn't want to be by yourself."

Nico thought for a moment before nodding, having learned that he'd do whatever it took to become friends with Percy, not realizing yet that that would make the pain worse. "Okay, okay. Fine, let's go."

Hazel took her lunch over to the large group of friends, Nico following suit. "Hey, Frank, can I sit by you today?"

Frank was flustered as he quickly made room for Hazel beside him. "Course! Course, of course. Leo, move over. You can sit right here, Hazel. That's enough room, yeah?"

"Yeah." she kissed his cheek before sitting next to him. "Nico, there's an open seat by Jason."

Nico grumbled to himself before sitting next to Jason, as far to the edge as he could possibly again. The conversation started to pick back up after they were seated, leaving Nico out of it (which he was grateful for). As they talked, Nico watched Percy eat his pizza. An adorable mess, his hair falling into his face and pizza sauce falling into his water. As he spoke, he pointed his pizza at whoever he was talking to.

"Hey, you okay?" Jason asked quietly, his blue eyes on Nico. "You seem really quiet."

Nico slowly turned to face Jason, his eyes narrowed. Why was this boy talking to him? Nico wasn't in this friend group, only Hazel was. Nico was just the side character, the extra. Who would ever speak to him?

"I was just wondering." Jason scratched the back of his neck. "You're in my bio class, right?"

Nico nodded. "Probably. I don't really pay attention to who's where."

Jason sighed. "Um...so, yeah. You're okay?"

Nico nodded.

"Okay." Jason turned back to the others. "Percy, what time's the party?"

"Seven," Percy replied through his pizza.

Jason turned back to Nico. "Seven. Percy's house, tonight. You coming?"

Nico froze. "What?"

"Party tonight." Jason looked to Hazel. "Are you and your brother free?"

Hazel nodded. "I'll drag him along if I need to."

Jason smiled. "Good. See you there, Nico."

Nico grumbled as he ate his lunch again. A party at Percy's house...a party at Percy's house...Percy's house, Percy's bedroom...Percy...

"Should I invite Will Solace?" Piper asked. "He and Lou Ellen are in me and Rachel's art class."

"Sure, go ahead." Percy offered. "Just make sure they don't bring parents or anything."

Piper got up to spread the news to the two people at the corner of the cafeteria.

As she did, Nico was still internally freaking out. On the other side of the cafeteria, Will Solace was doing the same. He was going to be at a party with Nico. Nico di Angelo. A party with Nico...


	3. Emptying Love

Clothes, clothes...what should he wear? Nico searched through his wardrobe, threw his clothes all over his room as he looked for something to wear. Jeans, sweatpants, hoodies, muscle shirts... What would Percy like?

"Nico, it's almost time to go." Hazel knocked on his door. "Are you ready?"

Nico blushed in embarrassment. "Um...not really..."

"Can I come in?"

"Yeah," he looked over at her as she came into the room. "What should I wear?"

"You've been figuring out what to wear for an entire hour?" she moved to his clothes and began to look through them. "Nico..."

Nico sat on his bed and watched her. "Sorry."

Hazel threw him a pair of skinny jeans and a plain gray shirt. "There. Wear that with your jacket."

"You're sure?" Nico looked down at the articles of clothing. "Isn't it...I don't know...boring?"

"It's a party, not a date." Hazel tossed him some converse. "Come on, we're going to be late."

Nico quickly got dressed and slipped into the shoes. After he got his jacket on, Hazel was pulling him from the room.

"How far does he live?" Nico asked as they started to walk there. "Not too long, right?"

"Not far at all, actually." Hazel held onto his elbow as they walked. "Are you excited?"

"Nervous," Nico admitted. "What if I mess up in front of him?"

"You won't. Just be yourself." Hazel's dress fluttered in the wind. "Percy's really nice. Just talk to him."

"About what?" Nico asked. "There's nothing to talk to him about. It's not like I'm going to go up to him and just admit my crush."

"Ask him about school." Hazel offered. "Or his new job."

"His new job?" Nico glanced at her. "Where's he working?"

"That's something you're going to ask him," she smirked. "Now you want to know, huh?"

Nico rolled his eyes. "I hate you."

"You love me."

* * *

Will looked through his clothes. Yellow shirts, orange shirts, all light colors. Nico liked dark colors, always wore them. How was he ever going to impress him?

Eventually, he settled on jeans and an orange hoodie, making sure to do his hair good before leaving. Lou Ellen was there to drive him to Percy's, her eyes moving to his clothes as soon as he got in the car. "No yellow?"

"Nico likes dark colors." Will explained as he buckled. "I doubt he likes yellow, especially for clothing."

Lou Ellen rolled her eyes. "So?"

"So...I...want to impress him." Will muttered. "What's wrong with that?"

"You like wearing yellow," she replied as she started to drive. "You shouldn't give up what you like because of him."

"Just this one night, Lou." Will looked out the window. "I'm already nervous enough. I didn't want to worry about him making fun of my outfit."

"Fine, I'll give you that." she turned the radio on. The rest of the car ride went by in silence, them eventually pulling up to Percy's house. Multiple cars were in the driveway. As they got out, they could hear the music leaking out of the fairly sized house.

"You ready?" Lou Ellen pulled him to the front door. "Nico's gonna be here."

Will gulped before nodding mutely. As he did, Lou Ellen knocked on the wooden door. Two pounds of her fist was all it took. Percy Jackson opened the door to welcome them, a red solo cup in his hand. "Hey, you're Piper's friends, right?"

Lou Ellen nodded. "Yep. From art class."

"Yeah, art class." Will pipped up.

Percy laughed. "Okay, come in. Drinks are in the kitchen. Parents aren't home. Don't break anything."

Lou Ellen pulled Will into the house. Teenagers lounged around, drank drinks and talked. Some made out in the corners, some played innocent games.

"There..." Will whispered. His eyes landed on Nico di Angelo, who sat in the corner of the room with his own drink. He was watching the crowds, his dark eyes unfocused. "Do you...do you think he's...drunk?"

"Probably." Lou Ellen patted him on the shoulder. "I'm going to go get a drink. Bye."

"Wait!" Will went to stop her but she was already gone, hidden behind the crowds of people. He could smell beer, could hear the drunken voices around him. He was alone, alone, alone...

"Hey, Will." Percy put a hand on Will's shoulder. "Are you okay? You look nervous."

"Oh, it's nothing." Will squeaked. "I've just...I've never...really been to a party..."

"Why not?" Percy asked in confusion.

"I..." Will blushed in embarrassment. "I've never been invited to one before."

"Oh..." Percy scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. "Sorry, Will. I...I hope you have fun, then. Just be yourself."

"Yeah, thanks." Will gave him a small smile.

"So..." Percy laughed nervously. "I'm going to go find Annabeth."

"Yeah, I have to find Lou Ellen." Will let out his own nervous chuckle. "So...bye?"

Percy waved before walking off. He met up with his blonde girlfriend, wrapping an arm around her waist.

_I wish I was that happy with Nico_ , Will thought as he watched Percy. _That would be nice._

* * *

Nico knew he was drunk, could feel the alcohol running through his veins. As he watched Percy, his tears started to run just as the alcohol did. Percy, kissing Annabeth. Percy, hugging Annabeth. Percy, loving Annabeth.

His heart felt like it was being ripped from his chest, his stomach felt like it couldn't function. He stared at this boy, stared at the boy he had been obsessed with for years. Percy...he was in love with Annabeth. No one else.

Why was fate so fucking cruel?

Beer...more beer. Nico looked into his empty cup, looked towards the kitchen. More beer would make him feel better...right? It'd get Percy out of his mind, get the image of Percy kissing Annabeth far away from his subconscious.

As he stumbled to the kitchen, he could feel how wet his face was. Beer, tears. Nobody stopped him, nobody seemed to notice. Why didn't Percy notice? Percy didn't notice his crying, didn't notice him in general. The love of his life...he didn't notice him.

The kitchen was empty of people. As Nico poured himself another glass of beer, the music pounded in his head and through his limbs. His hands shook, his legs barely held him up. He downed the glass, poured another one.

As he was finishing the next glass, a blond boy walked into the kitchen. He looked neat, looked sober. Blond hair combed perfectly, blue eyes that sparkled in the lights. Nico let his cup fall to the counter, let his eyes gaze over this beautiful boy. Percy...he wasn't Percy...but he was just as perfect.

"Nico..." Will Solace looked at Nico with a red face. "I...I was just...coming to get water..."

"Water?" Nico gestured to the alcohol. "There's beer."

"I...I don't drink..." Will scratched the back of his head. "Do...do you?"

"I think." Nico refilled his glass before holding it out to Will. "That would explain why I'm drunk."

Will moved closer to him before taking the glass with shaking hands. "Does it taste good?"

Nico smiled. "It feels good."

Will stared at Nico's smile, felt his heart melting from the sight. With that to power him, he drank from the cup with trembling lips.

"There you go." Nico clapped him on the back. "Good job. How does it taste?"

Will made a face but couldn't help but smile. "You really are drunk, Nico."

"I know." Nico looked to Will. "Keep drinking. It's uncomfortable being the only drunk one."

Will stared at the beer, let the smell fill his nose. Hesitantly, he took another drink. Then another, and another. When the glass was gone, Nico refilled it. Another sip, another gulp. The feeling of shaking hands and trembling legs. More, drinking more. So much more.

He couldn't remember what led to him kissing Nico that night. Couldn't remember what led to them making out on the kitchen floor. Couldn't remember what led to their clothes coming off. The clothes he had so worried about wearing only hours before.


	4. Unrequited Love

Drunken hands, fumbling around. Drunken motions. Drunken moans. Will was in Heaven until Nico uttered a single name: Percy. In his drunken state, he was imagining Percy.

It took Will five minutes to have him and Nico dressed. He was out of the room without a word, out of the room before the tears started to make their way down his cheeks. Why...why...why...why...

"Percy." Will grabbed the boy's arm. "Nico's in the kitchen...just laying there...drunk. He needs help."

"Yeah, okay." Percy gestured Jason over for help. "Thanks for telling me, Will."

Will stumbled toward the door, knowing he needed to get home. He needed to be alone, far from Nico, far from Percy, far from this party. He just wanted to go home.

How had things gotten so fucked up?

Dark streets, abandoned alleys. The rain came down in small showers, on and off about five times through his walk home. Burned out streetlamps, a flickering one here and there. By the time he got home, he was drenched and cold to the bone. So cold...

The rain wasn't the only thing making him cold that night.

When he got home his house was dark. His parents were in bed, the lights were off, everything was locked up. He climbed the stairs to his room, felt the stench of alcohol rolling off of him. Nico...Nico...

He had begun to have sex with Nico di Angelo.

A short sob caught in his throat, a violent lurch of his heart. He went into his bathroom and started a shower, felt his skin start to crawl when he processed everything. Nico...Nico...everything had been going so well.

Then Percy's name came out of that pale boy's mouth.

Will got in the shower with his clothes still on, letting the hot water drench him further. "Why me? Why me? Why me?" He looked up at the ceiling, water starting to get into his eyes. "God...why me? Why did you do this to me?"

Alone in a shower. Drenched clothes, hurt heart. He stripped out of the wet clothes, laid on his bed. A cold bed, a lonely bed. Nobody to snuggle with, nobody to lay beside. Nobody to take up the spot that Will wanted Nico to lay in.

A lonely night, the loneliest of his life.

* * *

Percy helped Nico into his bed, having helped Hazel walk the poor boy home. He was wasted, covered in beer, full of regret. As Percy covered him up, he could see the tears that still poured from his eyes.

"Nico?" Percy looked to him. "Are you okay? What happened?"

Nico's dull eyes didn't blink. "You're Percy..."

"I'm Percy."

"I fucked up, Percy," Nico whispered. "I fucked up...I'm sorry."

"It's okay." Percy moved some hair out of Nico's face. "I'm sure whoever you made mad will forgive you."

"I did something really bad, Percy." Nico continued. "I can't believe...I can't believe...I said...I said..."

"You said...?"

"Your name..." Nico's eyes fluttered closed. "I said your name..."

"Okay...?" Percy asked, confusion written on his face. "What does that have to do with anything?"

Nico rolled onto his other side, not answering. In minutes he was asleep, leaving Percy to wonder what the hell Nico was talking about.

"I'll ask Annabeth," Percy whispered as he left, walking back to his own house to start cleaning up. "She'll know what's wrong."

He got home to find only Annabeth left. She had a garbage bag in one hand as she went around, throwing away cups from the party. The house smelled like beer and smoke, making him gag from the thought of his parents coming home to find that.

"Hey, Annabeth." Percy got the air freshener and started to spray it around the house. "I have a question about Hazel's brother."

"Nico?" Annabeth looked up at him. "What about him?"

Percy started to cough from taking in too much of the air freshener. "He said he messed up at the party because he said my name."

"Your name...?" Annabeth frowned. "That's what he said?"

Percy nodded. "What's that even mean?"

Annabeth bit her lip, throwing another plastic cup into the bag. "I wouldn't worry about it much, Percy."

"But I want to know," Percy replied. "Did I do something wrong?"

"You didn't do anything," Annabeth assured. "Was Nico drunk?"

Percy nodded. "Wasted."

"That would explain it." she put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, Percy. He probably said your name while talking to someone else. They thought everything was special until he did that."

"...why _my_ name?"

Annabeth sighed. "Percy...you can be really oblivious, you know."

"It's not my fault I don't understand." he defended. "What? He wanted to be talking to me instead of someone else? Why would he be wanting to talk to me?"

"Just...let it go." Annabeth moved on and began to clean further from Percy. "Don't think about it. It's just Nico, let it go. He's got friends, he's got Hazel. It's not like something's wrong."

Percy nodded but had a horrible feeling that Annabeth was just as oblivious as he was.


	5. Forced Love

Will went to school Monday with an aching in his bones and a shattered heart. He had tried, he had tried over anything. He had tried to get Nico out of his heart, but it was impossible by this point.

He loved Nico di Angelo. _Loved him._

There was a cure for polio, there was a cure to the plague, to meningitis, to so many diseases. But to love? There wasn't even a way to ward it off. No cure to love, no cure to its deathly side effects.

Everywhere he went, there was someone saying how great love was. They loved their spouse, loved their significant other. But Will could never see the beauty in love that they did. How was love ever going to be beautiful for him if Nico loved Percy?

"Will." Lou Ellen grabbed Will's arm and dragged him to her locker. "Cheer up. It's going to be okay."

"How?" Will asked. "How will it ever be okay?"

Lou Ellen pointed to herself. "I work magic. You know this. Just give me some time."

"He loves Percy." Will told her miserably. "No magic is going to undo that."

"No magic is going to make Percy love Nico." Lou Ellen corrected. "So we have something to work with."

Will laid his head against the lockers. "He said Percy's name, Lou. When we were... He said Percy's name."

Lou Ellen patted him on the shoulder. "Just let me try. There can't be any harm in trying, right?"

Will nodded. "I guess."

Lou Ellen got her books before slamming her locker. "Come on, let's go. We don't want to be late."

Will followed her with his head hanging low, his hands at his sides and his eyes full of tears.

* * *

"Nico!" Lou Ellen called. "Wait up!" She fought through the crowds before getting to Nico's side, grabbing his arm to stop him from walking off. "We need to talk."

Nico glanced over at her. "Who are you?"

"Lou Ellen." she pulled him into a janitor's closet and shut the door. "We need to talk."

"Look, I-"

"I'm Will's best friend. So you're going to stand there and shut up and let me speak," she commanded. "Do you remember the night at Percy's house?"

Nico's face paled. "I...barely..."

"Do you remember talking to Will?" Lou Ellen had her arms crossed as she leaned back against the door, making it clear he wasn't getting out of there anytime soon.

"A little." Nico put a hand to his head. "More like...making out with him."

Lou Ellen nodded. "You thought he was Percy at the time."

Nico's face darkened. "Shut up about that." He looked around as if to make sure they were alone. "No one can know."

"Whoever looks at you for five minutes will know." Lou Ellen argued. "You're dead obvious."

Nico moved a hand to his face to hide the blush. "What is this about?"

Lou Ellen pointed to herself. "I know you love Percy. I know what you did." She pointed to him. "That means you have blackmail against you."

Nico scowled. "Are you fucking kidd-"

"And I know you're not straight so you can't use that to get out of this." she crossed her arms again. "Date my friend. Give him a chance. And I won't tell anyone."

"I'm not being forced to date someone-"

"Do you want everyone knowing?" Lou Ellen asked. "Do you want them all to know that you love Percy?"

Nico grit his teeth. "I hate you."

"I know."

"I'm not going to fall for anyone I'm forced to date," Nico warned her. "You should know that."

"I don't care." she held out her hand. "Deal?"

Nico stared at her hand for a minute before shaking it with his own. "Deal, you asshole."

Lou Ellen beamed. "Good. When are you free?"

"Saturday, I guess." Nico wiped his hand on his shirt.

"Meet him at the movie theater at six." Lou Ellen instructed. "And you're paying so bring money."

Nico scowled. "You better leave before I change my mind."

"Remember the blackmail." Lou Ellen got her stuff before leaving the closet, leaving him alone. A broom fell onto his shoulder but he didn't seem to notice. Will Solace liked him? How? How could anyone ever like him?

Knowing he was officially going to avoid Will from now on, Nico started to figure out new routes to his classes. Why'd everything have to be so difficult?

* * *

Lou Ellen sat by Will at lunch, her smile wide on her face. "Guess what."

"What?" Will picked at his food glumly.

"You're going to meet Nico at the movies on Saturday at six." Lou Ellen grinned. "He's buying."

Will froze.

"What are you going to wear?" she asked, bouncing in her seat. "Oh, wear that new shirt of yours. That looks good. What about your shoes? You should-"

"Lou..." Will looked to her slowly. "What are you talking about? How...what...what happened?"

"I got him to say yes to a date." she shrugged. "Don't worry about it."

"Nico...Nico di Angelo...Nico di _fucking_ Angelo...is taking me to the movies..."

She nodded. "Yep."

"He...he's buying...it's a date...on a Saturday night..." Will looked like he was deciding whether he should celebrate or throw up. "Oh my god..."

She elbowed him. "Excited?"

Will nodded. "I think."

Lou Ellen laughed. "You'll be fine. Just breathe. I'll come over and help you get ready."

"Okay..."

* * *

"Woah, hold on." Jason looked to Nico. "Will Solace is gay?"

Nico glared at him. "You idiot."

Jason cleared his throat. "Right, sorry. But you're taking him on a date why...?"

Nico rolled his eyes. "How did you even find out?"

"Hazel." Jason shrugged. "So, why are you taking him on a date?"

"Yeah, why are you?" Percy moved closer to them so he could hear. "I want to know."

Nico looked at Percy for a minute before looking away. "His friend asked me to."

"And you said yes because...?"

Nico looked away from Percy's stunning eyes. Why weren't they as beautiful as usual? "She has blackmail against me. I said one date and she agreed. That's it."

"She has blackmail against you?" Jason glared over at Lou Ellen. "That's wrong, Nico."

Nico shrugged. "It's happening."

"What's that blackmail?" Percy asked.

Nico fought to keep a blush down. "Nothing."

"Nothing...?"

"I'm not telling you." Nico got up. "I'm going to get to class."

"We have ten minutes left," Percy argued.

"Yeah, well, too bad." Nico walked off, thinking he could have trusted those around him. Instead, the whole school knew Will Solace was gay by the end of the day.


	6. Mutual Crush, One-Sided Love

Saturday rolled around rather quickly, whether they wanted it to or not. Before Will knew it, Lou Ellen was in his room picking him out clothes to wear. He went with whatever she gave him, his mind fuzzy with fear and excitement. What would this day possibly bring?

"Okay, you're done." Lou Ellen finally voiced her approval. His hair was combed, his teeth were whitened. He wore a light yellow button down and some jeans, converse that were too small for him stuck on his feet. "You look good, Will."

Will blushed. "I just hope he thinks so."

"He will." Lou Ellen promised. "Now hurry up. You don't want to be late."

"Right, right." Will grabbed his phone. "Thanks for everything, Lou." He charged out of the door before she could respond, his heart hammering in his chest. Nico di Angelo...he was meeting up with Nico di Angelo...

Suddenly, he forgot about bullies. He forgot about being made fun of, he forgot about everything that was wrong with his life. All he could focus on was meeting up with Nico, seeing his face, spending time with him. Butterflies filled his stomach and his heart danced in his chest.

He soon got to the movie theater, the clock hitting six as he walked in. Nico di Angelo was waiting near the doors, his arms crossed over his chest. As soon as he saw Will he stuffed a ticket into the blond's hand before walking off, leaving no room for conversation.

"Wait up!" Will ran to catch up with Nico. "What are we seeing?"

Nico shrugged. "Some horror movie."

Will paled. "Oh..."

"What? Scared of horror movies?" they gave the worker their tickets before moving to the theaters. Nico kept his hands deep in his pockets, making no move to buy any snacks. "They aren't bad."

"No, no, I'm not scared." Will quickly denied. "I love horror movies." They got into their theater and sat down near the front, the commercials already blasting through the room.

Nico crossed his ankles before sitting back, chewing a piece of gum. He didn't look towards Will or speak, creating a tense atmosphere between the two. Finally, when the movie was about to start, Nico looked over at Will. "I'm sorry about the night at Percy's place. We shouldn't have been doing that."

Will's face fell. "Oh..."

"Are you mad at me?" Nico asked. "I'm sorry for that whole thing. I made you drink and basically raped you. So I'm sorry."

"I wouldn't say rape." Will scratched the back of his neck. "It's okay, Nico. It's okay. I wasn't that drunk. I could think still. I was just...fuzzy."

"Right..." Nico looked back to the screen. "The movie is starting."

Will stared at Nico's face, those dark eyes, those long eyelashes. Only one thought surfaced in his brain: how could anyone ever be that attractive?

* * *

At the end of the movie, Will was white-faced and shaking in his seat. His hands gripped the armrests, his knees were to his chest. When the credits finally rolled down the screen, he looked to Nico who had a small smile on his face.

"It was a good movie," Nico commented. He then looked to Will, his smile dropping. "What's wrong with you?"

"It...it...was scary..." Will admitted. "Sorry...sorry...I...I wasn't expecting...that much..."

Nico stood up and stretched. "Why didn't you say something?"

"You...you were enjoying it..." Will looked down at his feet. "Can we stop at the bathroom?"

Nico sighed. "I guess."

Will got to his feet, having to steady himself before walking out. As soon as they were in the bathroom, Will went to the sink and splashed water onto his face. He was an idiot, such an idiot. Nico probably thought he was weak now.

Nico stood by the door leading out, his arms crossed as he leaned back against the wall. His dark hair fell into his face in a very anime-y look, his black skinny jeans clung to his frame. Will kept glancing at the boy's appearance in the mirror, feeling his face heat up.

"Well, I'll be getting home." Nico stood up straight and stretched. "The movie's done. Can you get home alright?"

Will's face dropped. "Oh...you're leaving?"

Nico nodded. "The deal was a movie. The movie is over. Now I'm leaving." He waved to Will be heading to the door.

"Wait!" Will ran to him and grabbed his arm. "Don't leave yet. Please." Adrenaline filled his veins, ran through him with warmth. His heart was pounding in his chest, butterflies flew around in his stomach. "Please stay for a minute."

"Why would I stay in the bathroom for a minute?" Nico asked, glaring at Will's hand. "No touching rule."

Will dropped Nico's arm. "Sorry. So sorry."

"Tell me why you want me to stay in a theater's bathroom," Nico repeated. "If you don't speak up I'm leaving."

"I...I..." Will's eyes gazed over Nico's form. "I..." He couldn't lose him, not yet. He couldn't lose him. "I want to...to try something..."

"Okay...?"

Will was about a head taller than Nico, who stood at a proud 5'4. He moved his blond hair behind his ears before bending down until his lips met Nico's, until he closed his eyes to feel the satisfying rush of emotions as he kissed Nico di Angelo.

Nico di Angelo... An angel, Will thought. He was a miracle. He was full of emotions, full of a different kind of love and hope. He had been through a lot, he stiffened when Will first kissed him. But as the seconds ticked by, he found it in himself to relax in Will's arms and kiss back.

A messy kiss in a bathroom, a messy kiss in the heat of the moment. Both finally sober, both thinking fully. A mutual kiss.

A kiss neither could ever forget. It almost made up for how much Will was getting teased. Almost.

* * *

"The saddest word in the whole wide world is the word almost.

He was almost in love. She was almost too good for him. He almost stopped her. She almost waited. He almost lived. _They almost made it_."

— Nikita Gill, Your Soul Is A River


	7. Downhill

"What does this mean?" Nico questioned, slipping his shirt on. "What does this mean?"

Will glanced over at him, his hair a mess. "A really good part in a movie must be going on if we didn't get interrupted."

Nico's distressed face broke into a small smile. "You know what I mean, Solace."

He got Nico to smile. Nico di Angelo. Nico di Angelo smiled at him, smiled at his joke, smiled...

"Will." Nico's voice broke him out of his thoughts. "We need to talk about this."

Will scratched the back of his neck. "That's awkward."

"That's life." Nico deadpanned.

"Fine, fine." Will moved closer to him. "I...I enjoyed it..."

"I want to know why you kissed me." Nico jabbed Will in the chest. "I want to know why you started that."

"Because...because I...I like...you..." Will managed. "I...I've liked you...and I...I lived in the moment, I guess."

Nico looked him over. "So you really do like me..."

Will blushed but nodded. "Yep."

"Why?" Nico asked. "Why do you like me?"

Will frowned in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I'm me. I'm...I'm unlovable." Nico insisted. "How could you ever like me?"

Will shrugged. "I just...do. You're not unlovable, Nico. Why would you think that about yourself?"

Nico scowled. "That's none of your fucking business."

"Is it because Percy never loved you back?" Will asked. "Nico, I understand. But he's-"

"You don't understand and you have no right to be saying that!" Nico grabbed Will's collar. "You have no fucking right! I came here because I didn't want to be blackmailed. That's it. We're not friends. We don't talk about this. Now don't ever bring it up again. In fact, don't ever talk to me again. About anything."

Will's pale face seemed to have lost all signs of life. "N-N-Ni-"

Nico walked out of the bathroom without another word. In his wake, he left true and utter sorrow in Will's once happy heart.

* * *

Everything in Will's life went downhill from there. The bullies got worse, his heart ached some more. He couldn't even see Nico's name with feeling as if he was going to cry. He felt as if he had broken up with someone, but this someone had never been his. Nico di Angelo...he loved him, he loved Nico, but Nico didn't love him back. He made that clear.

Love. Such a painful curse.

Love. Such a powerful gift.

Love. Such a negative blessing.

As the days went by, as the moon came up and the sun went down, as the sunrises became less and less appealing, Will felt himself lose control. He felt himself lose control of everything he had once known. He stopped going to school regularly. He stopped answering Lou Ellen's calls. He stopped caring whether or not he'd get accepted into medical school. He stopped caring about everything that one would be excited about.

Summer was coming, but all he could think about was if he'd ever find happiness again. If Nico di Angelo would ever change his mind. Before he knew it, he had failed school and was supposed to go to summer school. He didn't do that, either.

School was soon over with a blast of insults and a couple moments of abuse. Will got out of those moments with a black eye and a fat lip, both injuries not nearly hurting as much as his pride. Things used to be simple. A crush used to be innocent.

Now it was the cause of a ruined life.

It was the end of Spring when Will Solace finally realized that he couldn't do it anymore. The smell of life and freedom was in the air, but death and disaster filled him. With one last hug to his mother, with one last note, he left the house in hopes that he'd never come back. One last note...

A note his mother found in the nick of time, in enough time to call the police and Will's friends. Find him, find him. She begged them as much as she could. Find him before he does it.

It was Nico di Angelo and Lou Ellen who answered the call.


	8. Fateful Night

"Where would he go?!" Nico had taken his father's car and began to drive around the dark city well over the posted speed limits. "Can you think of anywhere?!"

"I'm checking school." Lou Ellen's voice rang out from his phone in sheer panic. She was still listed as unknown, him not having had her number until Will's mom gave it to him only minutes before. "You start checking anywhere where he could jump. Bridges, cliffs, that kind of stuff... Damn it!"

"What?" Nico pressed down on the gas pedal, narrowly avoiding the sidewalk. "What's wrong?"

"He's not here." Lou Ellen cursed. "Damn it, Will!"

"I'm getting near downtown." Nico gripped onto the steering wheel. "There are a couple bridges. I'll call you when I-"

His sentence cut off, a crash of metal, the sound of an explosion. Lou Ellen's phone fell silent along with all her hopes.

* * *

Will felt the wind whip through his hair, felt the moon settle into his bones. Standing on that bridge, standing so high above that mass of water, he felt truly alive for the first time in months. Standing there, looking down at the depths, he thought about everything that had gone wrong. He cursed himself for not curing cancer, cursed himself for not curing AIDS. Cursed himself for not giving himself a second chance.

Everyone always said to forgive others, that it would help heal you. That when you forgave someone that hurt you, it would heal your own wounds. Yet standing there, he realized something else entirely. Before you could go on to healing those wounds, you had to heal the wounds you inflicted on yourself. You needed to forgive yourself.

The wind got stronger, he felt himself sway with the breeze. It a minute it could all be over. In a minute he wouldn't have to think anymore, wouldn't have to hurt anymore.  
But if he gave the pain up he'd also be giving up the good stuff. He missed his mother's warm hugs, missed her smile and her love. He could remember all the days they spent together, remember all the memories they made.

He could still see her, guitar in hand, strumming to an old rock song. He would sit beside her, singing the lyrics with a smile on his youthful face. He'd never remember the real lyrics, but he'd make sure everything rhymed. "Enter night, eggs in sight! Take my handdddd... We're in the egg's land!"

A sad smile crossed his face. Barely anything, but it was enough to make him step away from the bridge that night. One smile, easy to conjure for most people. One smile that kept him going.

"What am I doing...?" Will looked down at his shoes, suddenly feeling sick at how high he was. He wasn't standing on the ledge anymore but was still on that bridge, high above a lake of water. How deep did it go? He'd never be sure.

Running his fingers through his hair, Will looked up at the dark sky. Stars twinkled here and there, staring down at him as if to ask him what he had been doing, as if to ask him how he could possibly want to escape life. There'd be no going back, no redos. It wasn't a game.

If he killed himself now, he'd never see Nico again.

"Mom?" Will put the phone to his ear as his mother answered his call. "Mom? It's me... I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm coming home. I'm coming home right now."

Silence, a sharp intake of breath. "What do you mean? I...I'm going there. Meet me there!" The end of the phone call, a start of rain. Will took off running, his feet hitting the pavement along with the rain droplets. One splash, one thunk of concrete, another puddle. His hair became soaked, his clothes were dripping wet. As he ran, he wasn't even aware of the beating of his heart. All he was aware of was Nico's face, his smile, his bright eyes. He needed to see that face again.

In the dead of night, he got to that hospital.


	9. The End Of A Life

Will stopped in the doorway, his hands shaking and his eyes watering. What was he doing there? Why was he at a hospital so late at night? Why was he staring at what used to be the love of his life? Why was the love of his life only given minutes to live?

Why...why...why why why why why-

"Will." Lou Ellen stood up from the dark haired boy's bedside to embrace her friend. "You scared the shit out of me!"

"What happened?" Will's eyes didn't leave Nico's pale face, his chest tube, his IV's and his blood matted hair. "What...what happened to him?"

Lou Ellen's eyes moved downcast. "You should go talk to him, Will. We can talk after...after..."

Will sat in the chair Lou Ellen had been previously sitting in, his blue eyes full of darkness. "Nico...Nico, can you hear me? Please...please be able to hear me... I'm sorry. I'm sorry about everything."

He placed his hand on Nico's, letting out a sigh of relief when Nico grabbed onto his hand. Weakly, but the squeeze was there. "Neeks...I'm so sorry. I'm so so so sorry. I love you. I...I've loved you for a while now. I'm sorry."

The grip tightened, a dark eye cracked open. As it did, a tear escaped and trailed down that pale face.

"It's going to be okay." Will gently wiped the tear away with his finger. "I'm here. You're not alone. You're not alone, Nico. I'm here."

A flash of relief in those pain filled eyes, a sense of love deep inside that fluttering soul. As he stared at Will, he mouthed one sentence: I'm sorry.

And then he was gone. His eyes closed, his last breath left his body, his hand fell limp. In a matter of seconds, the love of his life was gone.

Gone.

* * *

It was Springtime when Percy got the call. He was sitting at the beach, gathering seashells. They'd make a great gift for Annabeth.

As he piled them into the bag he brought, his phone rang from his pocket. An unknown number, something Percy didn't usually answer to. Still, he answered it anyway.

Answered it to hear the news. Lou Ellen, she said she was. Will's friend from that one party. She would have told him hours ago, but she had been calming Will.

Nico was dead. He had died late the previous night, so late that it had probably been the early hours of the morning. Died from injuries sustained in a car crash.

* * *

Annabeth was working on new blueprints when Percy started to pound on her door. Her father answered it, talked to the teenager, sent him to Annabeth. That's how she first knew something was wrong.

Her next clue was Percy's face. His green eyes were rimmed in red, a tear had made its way down his cheek. His lips moved, he spoke the words she never thought she would hear.

"Nico got in an accident. He...he didn't make it."

* * *

Breathing heavily, Jason jogged down the road. It was early morning, the sun just having started to poke up over the horizon. Dew covered the grass, the smell of spring was in the air. Five miles by five in the morning. If he kept this up, maybe he'd make the football team after all.

His phone buzzed in his pocket, vibrating his thigh. He ignored it but stopped when it started again, Annabeth's face filling his screen.

"Annabeth?" he answered with a sense that something was horribly wrong. "Annabeth, what is it?"

He could barely make out her words, but he understood one: dead. Someone was dead.

"Where are you?" he demanded. "Where are you? Percy's house... Okay, I'm coming. I'm coming!"

With some more pain in those thighs, he took off at a run to Percy's place. It was there where he found out that it had been Nico, that Nico was dead.

Nico di Angelo was dead...

None of them were ever the same.


	10. Epilogue

**One Year Later**

It was that time of year again. As Percy walked down to the docks, he could smell the Spring air. Cars kept driving, kids kept graduating, nothing seemed to stop. Though their world halted for a moment, no one else's did.

"They painted the pier..." Percy got to where he had gotten the call, where he had first heard the news. "Wonder why..."

"Percy!" Annabeth waved him over from the shadows of the pier. "Come on! We're waiting!"

Percy smiled at his girlfriend, jogging over to meet her. "Hey."

"It's about time." Jason took a swing of beer. "We've been waiting."

"Sorry, sorry." Percy sat next to Annabeth and Will, who already seemed to be drunk. "So, what are we meeting about?"

"Just hanging out." Annabeth laid her head on his shoulder. "Where were you?"

"Visiting his grave." Percy accepted a can of beer from Jason. "Didn't mean to take too long."

"We were just talking about how we first met Nico," Annabeth explained. "Some of our stories were kind of funny."

Will chuckled into his drink. "Remember mine?"

Everyone laughed through their drunken haze. Of course, they did. A one night stand, a drunken mistake. Who knew where it would eventually lead? Maybe if he had never done that that night...

But no matter what happened, in the end, they'd all become stories.


End file.
